Stores Want Court Built

November 5, 1985|By Joseph Schwerdt, Staff Writer

DELRAY BEACH — Bob Redman had a horrendous summer. The owner of Doc`s Soft Serve, an old- fashioned drive-in restaurant on the corner of Atlantic and Swinton avenues, he said business was off 15 percent from this time last year.

Redman, like other downtown restaurateurs and merchants, is searching for a way to end the decline in business. Nothing would help turn the tide more, merchants say, than if the County Commission decides Thursday to build the $10 million courthouse on West Atlantic Avenue in downtown.

``It`s got to help,`` Redman said. ``We need something to get some activity down here. This place has been like a ghost town. After five you can shoot a cannon down Atlantic Avenue.``

The commission is expected to decide Thursday whether to accept Delray Beach`s invitation to build the new courthouse on 30 acres on West Atlantic Avenue just west of Swinton Avenue. A portion of that property was to be the site of the city`s new $5 million police station. But officials decided earlier this year to find another location to build the police station and go after the courthouse.

County Commission Chairman Ken Adams and County Commissioner Dorothy Wilken said the city began its campaign for the courthouse too late. In recent years, the county has purchased property around the existing courthouse on Congress Avenue south of Atlantic Avenue. The current plan is to enlarge that courthouse instead of splitting the two buildings.

``The plan has been to enlarge the existing courthouse for several years,`` Adams said. ``It`s not as if this is a surprise to anybody. We`ve already made a major investment near the existing facility.``

The courthouse would be a boon to the city`s downtown redevelopment efforts and would encourage new development along blighted West Atlantic Avenue, city officials said. Recently, the City Council launched a campaign to rid the avenue of crime and dilapidated storefronts.

``The courthouse would be excellent,`` said Kevin Egan, chairman of the Atlantic Avenue Association. ``It would stimulate growth along West Atlantic Avenue. And it would snowball with offices going up and all the things associated with a courthouse.``

``It would be great,`` said Stu Fischer, co-owner of Ken`s and Hazel`s restuarant on Atlantic Avenue. ``This part of town is dying. Look at all the empty storefronts.

To make sure their voices are heard Thursday, dozens of downtown merchants are expected to ride to West Palm Beach Thursday in a caravan. Anyone looking for a ride can call the Chamber of Commerce or just show up there Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

Adams and Wilken said they agree the courthouse would help downtown Delray Beach. But they questioned the benefit to other areas in the southern part of the county. In addition, Wilken said she expected a move to downtown would delay the courthouse project and cost the county taxpayers money.

``There have to be compelling reasons that show how we can move the courthouse downtown,`` Wilken said. ``Nothing would please me more than to tell the Delray people they`re right. But they have to demonstrate to me that it is not a waste of county money. There will be no delay in construction and there will be no loss of county money.

``We serve the entire county. I`m sure the people in Belle Glade don`t care a rat`s nose where we put a courthouse in Delray Beach. But they`ll care if it costs them money.``